


Just Like Romeo and Juliet

by karamelship



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Daxam, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Fluff, Inspired by Romeo and Juliet, Karamel AU, Krypton, Star-crossed, Tragedy, bit of angst, quite a bit of fluff, romeo and juliet - Freeform, star crossed lovers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-09
Updated: 2018-12-23
Packaged: 2019-05-20 06:43:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,933
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14889596
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/karamelship/pseuds/karamelship
Summary: Two households, both alike in dignity,In fair Krypton, where we lay our scene,From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.From forth the fatal loins of these two foesA pair of star-cross’d lovers take their life;Whose misadventur’d piteous overthrowsDo with their death bury their parents’ strife.The fearful passage of their death-mark’d love,And the continuance of their parents’ rage,Which, but their children’s end, nought could remove,Is now the two hours’ traffick of our stage;The which if you with patient ears attend,What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend.*****Kara and Mon-El. A girl from Krypton and a boy from Daxam. Two star-crossed lovers.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! So, my amazing, close friend Lotem (@kepnersarias on twitter) and I were talking a few days ago about a Kara and Mon-El Romeo and Juliet AU.  
> She made this AMAZING edit (I'm serious, it was absolutely perfect and genuinely brought me to tears) for it and I decided to write a fanfic on it. The link to the edit is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMVbcQtu3WI  
> Please go and watch it because I guarantee you'll love it and it's one of the best edits I've ever seen.  
> Anyway, this fanfic is based off of that and inspired by R&J. It's my first ever time writing a fanfic so I apologise if it's not the best! Hopefully the writing will improve over time. I hope you all enjoy!

“Kara? Kara, wake up.” Alura’s soft, calming voice gently awakened Kara and the mother and daughter smiled at each other as latter peeled open her eyes. The rose rays of red sunlight beat down into Kara’s room, kissing her forehead. Krypton’s vast foliage was waiting for her, beckoning her to explore every mile of it. The planet was idyllic, and Kara wanted nothing to change. She propped herself up against her satin pillow and greeted her mother good morning. “Today’s a special day. Do you remember why?” Alura questioned her young daughter, who responded with a firm shake of her head. “Today, we find you a suitor.” Kara’s mood instantly depleted upon hearing that and her merriment was short-lived. The day had come so fast and her life was going to change irrevocably.

Kara never would’ve imagined living her life in a frigid marriage. That was, until a mere three weeks ago when her parents reminded her of her Amalgamation Day. It was the day when higher Kryptonians must to choose a suitor for their child at a masquerade ball hosted on their planet. Kara knew she would have a choice, albeit little. The masks were there to create anonymity, so that Kara was not able to differentiate between Kryptonians and other foreigners who had travelled far and wide to gain her hand. Kara was full of trepidation at the thought of falling for a… Daxamite.

Daxam was Krypton’s sister planet and their people were disgusting, inhumane hedonists. Kara despised every single one of them. She had to, for she’d been brought up that way. But one paltry part of her fought to see the best in them. Surely, they couldn’t all be bad, right? The planets had been at each other’s throats for generations due to a futile war that Daxam had started - it was imperative that every Kryptonian believed in this fallacy – and Kara never wanted to be associated with one, let alone marry one. She longed to fall in love with someone, to have her romance and passion, and marry for a real, fervent love. And a Daxamite could never give her this seeing as they only believed in pleasure.

When Kara was born, Daxam’s monarchs reached out to Alura and Zor-El. In an attempt to sever ties, the Daxamites proposed that Kara was to marry their son once both were of age. Luckily for Kara, her parents fought for her freedom and instead, the foursome agreed that the heir of Daxam was able to try and win Kara over during her Amalgamation Day. Kara was told of this when she was 8, and since then, she was so intransigent not to be wed to one of those filthy humans. She promised to herself that she would never choose a Daxamite. Especially not that Daxamite. She did not want to give Daxam the satisfaction of getting what they wanted. The Daxamite Prince had only gotten worse as he aged. He was rumoured to be the worst of the worst, a complete frat boy who slept around and had a new girl on his arm at every event. Kara didn’t know what he looked like. She didn’t even know his name.

*****

“Mon-El! Get up! For Rao’s sake! Stop sleeping and get out of bed, NOW!” Mon-El awoke to his mother incandescently ripping off his bed sheets, opening his curtains and vociferating loudly.  
“Yes, Mother.” He responded morosely.  
“You have to get ready for tonight.”  
“What’s tonight?” He questioned with a perplexed look.  
“What’s tonight? What’s tonight!” Queen Rhea reiterated his words manically. “Do not be stupid, Mon-El.” She berated the prince. “Tonight, we must travel to… Krypton.” She replied, her voice thick with repugnance. “It’s the Amalgamation Day for two of the higher society members’ daughter, and all are invited. I know you don’t want to go, but who would? Who would want to interact with those self-righteous, exaggerating…” His mother’s voice became an impertinent drone to Mon-El as his mind wandered elsewhere. She constantly carped about Kryptonians that Mon-El was used to drowning it out. He never truly understood why he had to loathe the inhabitants of their sister planet, unlike every other Daxamite. He wanted the war to end. He saw no point in fighting over something that had happened centuries ago. 

No. He had to hate the Kryptonians. They were vile. They thought they were superior and they were arrogant. They were Daxam’s enemies for a reason and Mon-El despised them.

“Mon-El!” Rhea exclaimed in a thin, peevish voice. “Listen to me! At that ball, we don’t want you to go anywhere near that Kryptonian scum. You are to stay by me and your father the entire time. People will be there to win the daughter’s hand in marriage, so I don’t want you in close proximity of her. Her views will be just as bad as her parents’. I don’t want her to choose you and I want nothing to do with Krypton. We will only be attending for a short amount of time, so we appear civil.” Mon-El wasn’t surprised. There were always malicious intentions behind every single one of his mother’s decisions. “Do you understand? Do not go anywhere.”  
“Yes, Mother. I understand.” Mon-El knew to stay by his parents. Why would he want to be near the Kryptonians? Why would he even want to be near their daughter? She was probably the worst of them all. He wouldn’t go near her with a 5-foot pole.


	2. I Just Can't Wait For The Ball

“But Alex, where my freedom? Where’s my liberty to choose?” Kara grumbled exasperatedly to her hand maid. “I can’t even see their faces. What if my parents accidentally choose a Daxamite for me?” She shuddered at the mere thought of it. 

“Well then, at least he’ll be hot. OW!” She yelled as Kara leaned over and whacked her arm aggressively. “What? It’s true! All Daxamites are gorgeous. You can’t deny reality.” She shrugged nonchalantly as Kara sighed in dismay.  
Alex would never understand. She wasn’t the one who had to choose a suitor within a few hours. Not even choose, have one chosen for her. She didn’t have to gamble the chance of being saddled with a Daxamite. Kara wanted to stay away from all of them, particularly the royals. Besides, she had a plethora of other suitors, right? There was an infinitesimal chance of her having to endure the permanent presence of a Daxamite or worse, the Daxamite Prince.

“I just want this over and done with. Why couldn’t I have an intimate, wonted marriage? One that would be for actual love. Why do I have to choose now?” She buried her face in her hands dejectedly, knowing that all her grousing wouldn’t change the situation. This marriage was going to be perennial. She had to choose prudently. Or more like her parents had to. This stupid tradition had been entrenched in Kryptonian society for generations, and for what? A ‘harmonious’ marriage to integrate the planets?”

“It’s okay, Kara. Have faith. Who knows? You may end up falling hard for this person. You may end up with an unconventional love story, just like you wanted.”

“Yeah, right. Knowing my luck, I’ll end up with a stagnant, jejune man. Nothing will happen. No romance, no satisfaction. I don’t want to be stuck with a person like that for the rest of my life! I may as well marry a Daxamite if I want to throw my entire existence away impetuously like that!” She took a heavy sigh, pondering on how warped her life had become. “What I don’t get is why they’re even invited? Who would want such egotistical people on the venerated land of Krypton?”

“Because…” Alex started to wander into Kara’s closet to grab her outfit for the night. “It’s common courtesy. Now, how does this look?” Alex flashed a stunning, royal blue ballgown at Kara, who instantly beamed exuberantly. Alex always knew what to do, what to say, how to raise Kara’s spirits. She was the one person Kara could tell anything to. Absolutely anything. Despite being her plebeian hand maid, she was the closest Kara had to a friend. Alex was always there and an outstanding listener. She could put up with Kara’s farcical complaints for hours and somehow knew what the right thing to say was. She was more than a hand maid. She was Kara’s confidant, her comforter. Her sister. While Kara’s jauntiness was momentary, it was there. And that was good enough for now.

 

“Mon-El, come on! I wanna see what you look like! Come on, come on, come on!” Mon-El’s best friend, Winn, badgered him, eagerly waiting outside his closet for Mon-El to reveal his outfit. This 5-year-old pestering was then followed by an abiding quietness, which was strange because Winn’s silences were always ephemeral and scarce.

“Winn, you still there?” Mon-El bellowed upon hearing this peacefulness. 

No response.

“Winn?” Still nothing.

“Winn!” Mon-El barged out of his closet doors anxiously to be met with the relief that Winn perched on the end of his bed guilelessly. The widest grin Mon-El had ever seen was plastered on his friend’s face and his eyes screamed astonishment. “Don’t scare me like that again! Rao, I thought something was wrong with you!”

“Mon-El. You. Look. AMAZING! A serious knockout! Wow. Just… wow.” Mon-El was wearing his hand-tailored suit for the evening. It wasn’t traditional Daxamite shades but instead an elementary, charcoal-coloured suit with a narrow strip of royal blue crossing his abdomen diagonally. He did truly appreciate Winn’s compliments, albeit ones that made him feel like a 14-year-old girl. That was something he loved about Winn. Even when his parents would knock him down, Winn would always be there to lift him back up. Winn was invariably there when no one else was, without a doubt. He was the only person that was able to tolerate Mon-El, and vice versa. 

“You done gawking, gawker?” Mon-El rolled his eyes and flashed an unimpressed face at his ogling friend.

“That Kryptonian babe will not be able to keep her eyes off you!”

“Urgh. No way. I’m not going anywhere near her. I don’t want her hypercritical eyes anywhere.” Mon-El remarked abhorrently. “If she’s anything like Mother says she is, she’s not my type. I don’t want her to choose me.”

“At least promise me you’ll try and flirt a little.”

“No! Winn, I don’t particularly want to be there. I don’t want to talk to anyone. I just want to go, make an appearance, and leave. It’s not like anything life changing is going to happen there.”

“You never know. That ballroom might hold your soulmate inside.”

“Soulmate? Winn, please. You know that I don’t believe in such fantasy.” Mon-El scoffed.

“Man, why do you get to go and not me? It’s my kind of thing and I’m the perfect party animal. It ain’t a party unless Winn Schott is there.”

“First of all, this isn’t some puerile party. This is the Amalgamation Day for a descendant of Krypton’s higher society. It’s a formal ball for her and her parents to choose a mate for her. I don’t even want to risk being seen by her. Like she’d ever choose me anyway. Daxamites and Kryptonians are like the Capulets and the Montagues. Besides, you can barely control yourself at parties.”

“Psch, I can control myself!” Winn expostulated.

“The last party we went to, you got so drunk that you were in complete confidence that you were ‘stronger than iron’, which isn’t that strong, by the way. Then you attempted to pick me up and throw me in the swimming pool to prove it, but instead you tripped on your shoelace and fell into the water yourself. Then you proceeded to drink- “

“Ok! I get the picture!”

“Having that at a fancy masquerade ball would be a calamity. Also, you’re not a royal. You’re just my imbecilic best friend.”

“Thank you, my prince.” Winn answered and took a comical bow. Mon-El rolled his eyes for the second time and attempted to smooth out any detectable creases.

“I can’t believe I’m making this much effort for some negligent ball. On Krypton of all places. For a Kryptonian who’s probably as sanctimonious as they come.” He fiddled with his sleeves and monitored the cuffs to check everything was in place.

“Just try and have a good time. For your old pal, Winn.”

“Yes, alright. I’ll try.” He replied wearily. And when Winn gave him an awaiting look, he continued and said, “and yes, I’ll let you know if I met any ‘babes’ there.” To which Winn pumped his fist up in the air and hissed out a “yes!” 

Mon-El was as prepared as he’d ever be. He just wanted to go there and come straight home. It wasn’t going to be a special night for him anyway.

 

“Now, Kara, you remember what you must do. Stay on the dance floor and?”

“Mingle.” Kara responded indignantly. She was absolutely dreading this stupid ball and felt sick with apprehension. 

“Well, your father and I prefer the term ‘socialise’ but yes, mingle.” Alura put her hand under her daughter’s chin and admired her. “You look so beautiful, my darling.” Kara’s mother flashed her an affectionate smile, one so wide her eyes crinkled at the sides. Her face suddenly fell with commiseration for her child. “I know you don’t like this, Kara. But you must understand that your father and I will make the best possible decision for you that we can. This is what’s best for you.”

“Then why do I get no say in it?” She quickly quipped back, to which Alura answered with an apologetic sigh.

“Let’s go.” Alura lead Kara out of her dressing room towards their extravagant ballroom. Her prepossessing dress bounced with every step Kara took, the intricate lace work shimmering in the luminescence. “Blue really is your colour.” Her mother commented, her gaze still focused on the steps in front of her. Kara looked down at the floor, blushing, and remembering a time Alex told her a very similar thing.

As she entered the room, the first thing her eyes registered was a gorgeous, iridescent glow. One not unlike the rays in her bedroom. The ballroom was immense and filled to the brim with fluorescent décor. To her left were dozens of circular tables with golden chairs neatly tucked into them. To her right was a mouth-watering buffet containing Krypton’s traditional food. All the tables were decorated with fuscia Dar-Essa flower centre pieces, radiating vanilla candles and sky-blue serviettes. Front and centre was the dance floor, with glossy, white tiles and a raven coloured boarder. Behind that was her parents’ thrones. Their pedestal where they would sit and determine which monotonous man would be the quintessential husband for their daughter. What would they know?

“Do you like it?” Alura turned to her.

“I’m not too keen on the idea of having no say in who I marry, so no.” Kara quipped back, earning another sigh from Alura.

“Please, don’t make this difficult for us, Kara. It’s tradition, and you know we must abide by it.”

“We don’t have to. We could be the first house to defy the custom. What’s the worst that could happen?”

“We’d be removed from the council, possibly banished, not to mention how quite possibly all of Krypton would disparage us. Need I continue?”

“No.”

“I am sorry, Kara. You know that if I could change it, I would. I hate to see you so dispirited. Your father and I will do our best. You know that. Please, don’t be mad.” Kara’s expression softened upon hearing that, her shoulders slumped, and she was able to relax slightly.

“Alright. I love it.”

“Love what?”

“I love the way the ballroom has been done up.” All Alura could do was smile at her daughter’s compliance and acceptance.

 

“Mon-El! Are you finished yet? The ball starts in a half hour and we CANNOT be late!” Rhea’s persistent shrieking had been going on for over 15 minutes, but to Mon-El, it was just white noise.

“Right, you need to get out of here. Now.” Mon-El warned his best friend and slid up the window.

“I can’t go out that way! I’ll die! Have you seen the danger out there?”

“Winn, you came in this way. You can leave this way too.”

“Fine. But if I slip off that tree trunk and end up splattered on the ground, just know that you’re the one to blame.”

“Yeah, yeah.” He chuckled as Winn hopped out and started to descend.

“Remember, flirt.” Winn repeated as he disappeared. Almost straight after, Rhea slammed open Mon-El’s door, the fury evident from her flaring nostrils and steam emerging from her ears.

“Get on our ship. Now!” She ushered him out, practically shoving him onto the right path. “And do not go to the dance floor. That’s where the princess will be. Where do I want you?”

“Next to you and Father.”

“And?”

“At all times.”

“Correct.” Rhea took a sigh and held her son’s chin in her hand. “I am very proud of you, my son.” And with that, she paced over to the ship with Mon-El following close behind. The journey only took them around 10 minutes, and they probably could’ve travelled by the high-speed trains. But no, like the narcissistic woman she was, Rhea just had to make a memorable entrance when arriving in Krypton. Probably something along the lines of proving a petty point. 

“Clearly.” He muttered sardonically and boarded the ship.

This was going to be the longest, tedious, most unnecessary few hours of his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Sorry that this chapter is quite small and took ages to get out. Long story short, I got appendicitis on Saturday (fun, I know) and was hospitalised for 3 days. I'm all good now though!
> 
> Then we all had to mourn because of that stupid finale. I'm not even going to go into my opinion of it because frankly, it isn't worth my time. I just really wanted to upload this new chapter in the hopes that it would cheer some of you up.
> 
> I apologise if it seems rushed but I'm never 100% happy with my writing due to being a crazy perfectionist so I thought I just have to put it out there and hope for the best.
> 
> Anyway, I'm on summer holidays now so hopefully I can update a lot more. Would you guys prefer long chapters with long waits for updates, or short chapters with regular updates?


	3. The Greatest Night of Them All

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! I apologise for the extremely late update! Turns out my summer so far has been a very busy one and I've had some writers block :/
> 
> Here's a long chapter for you all and thank you for waiting so long!

The ship began to rumble, indicating to Mon-El that they were preparing their descent into Krypton. He’d apparently visited the planet before, when he was much, much younger, therefore he couldn’t remember specific details. From what he’d heard about Krypton, albeit very biased opinions, was that it was boring. Lifeless. And full of the worst kinds of people.

But as he gazed out of the clear glass, his eyes widened in shock and his mouth parted slightly, a small gasp escaping his lips.

 

The planet was mesmerising.

 

Endless miles of pear-coloured grass lay out right in front of him. Ancient ruins were spotted far in the distance. Colossal monuments and breath-taking orchards were right out there for the taking. There was so, so much to explore and Krypton was nothing like he’d ever seen or heard. Mon-El was completely enthralled. It was like entering a parallel universe. And as much as he hated to admit it, nothing he could say, no possible words would be able to do Krypton justice.

“Mon-El! Let’s go!” His father’s voice bellowed as the ship made a steady landing onto Krypton’s ground. _This is it,_ he thought. _I’m really here_. _I’m on the planet of the enemy. And it’s gorgeous._ He took a deep sigh and exited the ship.

Even though it was the same red sun Daxam received, the mid-afternoon warmth on Krypton was somehow more... prominent. More comfortable. It was the kind you could just bask in, all day, every day. It was the kind Mon-El loved. And he hated that.

Being a Daxamite, he was brought up to despise anything associated with Krypton. But he just couldn’t. He couldn’t do it now that he was actually here. The planet was just so goddamn breath-taking that he couldn’t deny it. It was the kind of place he’d been dreaming of. It was a vision of what he wanted Daxam to be like when he ruled it. It was a place he wanted to stay and never leave. He wanted to live there.

 

He paced on behind his mother and father as the trio walked gracefully towards the grand, white marbled building with a dome shaped roof.

Every so often, Mon-El picked up on petty comments his mother was speaking.

“This grass? It’s so dry. Haven’t they heard of irrigation on a planet of scientists?”

“There are other materials besides marble, don’t they know that here?”

“I don’t understand how anyone could like this planet, let alone live in it.”

Just as Mon-El was about to tell her shut her stupid mouth, they reached the hall and were greeted by two guards. Lar Gand turned to his son, an intricately patterned mask gripped in his hand.

“Here, son.” He placed it in Mon-El’s hand as he observed the intricate design. The mask was a dark blue to compliment the secondary colour of Mon-El’s suit. Thin swirls of silver beautifully matched the blue of the mask and an almost invisible ribbon band stretched around the back of it. Mon-El nodded thankfully and placed the moulded papier-mâché securely around his eyes, fastening the ribbon with a bow. His mother and father followed suit and the three were granted access into the building.

“We’re to be out of this place before dark. I’m not spending so long on a planet, despite that fact that they need my presence.” Rhea mocked, her insults bouncing around the long corridor towards the ballroom. Her heels clicked with every step on the black and white checkered floor.

“I thought it was our presence.” Mon-El quipped underneath his breath, though his mother may have heard him seeing as she shot him a baleful look.

 

They approached two towering doors with a beautiful decoration. It was a deep chocolate colour with golden swirls painted in the different shapes of each Kryptonian house. The door had very delicate design and each and every one had a very close attention to detail. It was not something you’d see on Daxam. Before opening the door, Rhea thought it best to warn her son again.

“Stay with us. We’ll be leaving soon enough.” Mon-El responded with a small nod. “I already can’t stand this planet.” She swept the doors open and the royals were greeted with a blast of instrumental music, a flurry of colour and a mass of people all around the vast room.

“Oh, brilliant.” Rhea sighed repulsively. “Not only do these Kryptonians not know how to throw a party, but they _clearly_ have no class.” She glanced around the room, horrified at the pathetic excuse of a ball in front of her. “The worst part about these insipid Kryptonians is that every event they hold is a dry one. Not one drop of alcohol is available to make this process any more bearable.”

The sound of his mother’s complaints was drowned out when Mon-El’s ears picked up on a beautiful melody being played by the quartet that was the entertainment for the ball. He noticed the dancefloor, filled with dancing men in suits and women in tulip-like ballgowns, gracefully floating across the floor. Winn’s words echoed in his mind.

_Flirt._

Well, the least he could do was try, right? The dancefloor was practically begging him to go there.

It hadn’t even been 5 minutes since their arrival, but Mon-El had already disobeyed his mother’s order of staying anchored to their side. He hesitantly approached a woman who was observing the dancing couples.

“Would you care to dance?” He asked as politely as he could and breathed a silent sigh of reassurance when the masked woman nodded. She held out her silk-gloved hand and Mon-El lightly took it, leading her to the floor. She was wearing a shimmering satin gown, which was a pale watermelon shade.

The masquerade ball wasn’t just open to male suitors from all planets, but women too. Some came to reunite with lost friends, some women came to enjoy the dancing and the music held by the Kryptonians, some came to meet the daughter.

While dancing with the woman to the waltz that the quartet was playing, Mon-El saw a scintillating streak of royal blue dash past him and escape through the back door. It seemed as though she were rather distressed, but his brain barely had time to register what happened as the music changed to a much more upbeat tune, much to Mon-El’s displeasure.

 

After dancing charmingly with multiple other partners, he deemed it necessary to go outside and get some fresh air away from the overfilled, airless room. Even more people had continued to arrive and Mon-El found himself becoming more and more claustrophobic by the second.

 

Mon-El found himself lost within the depths of the ballroom’s garden, which, quite frankly, was like stepping into a utopian paradise for him. Everything was perfect; the mini hanging lanterns illuminated the hedges, the marble benches, the ravishing Dar-Essa flowers just begging him to pick them and inhale their hypnotising scent. Everything he wished Daxam was, it was here. It was everything he wanted, everything he never knew he needed. On Krypton, of all places. On the enemy’s territory.

It was idyllic.

That was until Mon-El came across a person, a woman, facing away from him and sobbing to herself. She hadn’t noticed him yet, clearly, but she was distraught from what he could hear. She was wearing the most exquisite ballgown that was extremely flattering, and she had prepossessing blonde locks that tumbled down her back in striking, yet subtle, waves. A floral scent -must’ve been frangipani- floated into his nose, filling his whole body with an intoxicating fragrance.

A pretty girl like her was out here, flustered and dismayed.

Why?

His curiosity was telling him to at least help the poor girl. At least offer her some condolences. Mon-El’s first response was to comfort her. And yes, while all Daxamites were selfish people, he was not like that in the slightest. He had a heart. How could he turn a blind eye to a person who was in distress? A person who was silently crying- the worst kind of crying there is- when she should be inside talking to the other guests. He glanced next to her on the bench where her royal blue mask -which matched his perfectly- lay facing him. Mon-El edged closer to her, not wanting to scare the woman, and took her mask in his hand to create space for him to sit.

Bad move.

She instantly detected his presence and gasped before clearing her throat. Mon-El noticed how she wiped her cheeks with both forefingers before reaching for her mask, still facing away from him. He took that as a sign to place it back in her hand and she tied it back around her face. Finally, she turned around and Mon-El was hit with her engaging, sapphire eyes.

Eyes like comets.

Comets surrounded by pools of red due to fierce tears. The noticing of her bloodshot eyes prompted Mon-El to snap out of his trance and do the one thing he was supposed to do when he noticed her.

“Hi. Uh… Are you okay?” _What a stupid question, Mon-El. Of course, she’s not okay. How is that the first thing you say?_ “I mean…” He cleared his throat, hoping his slight skittishness wasn’t showing through. “What’s wrong?” _Great, now she’s going to feel pressurised to tell you her entire life story. Nice going, jerk._

“Everything.” She sniffed and Mon-El felt a strange pang in his heart.

“Do... do you want to talk about it?”

“Not right now. I’m sorry.” She coughed and rubbed away any remaining tears before flashing a smile. While Mon-El knew it was a cover, he couldn’t help but smile back.

“No, don’t be. I’m Mon-El.”

“Kara.” _What a gorgeous name_ , he thought. _Kara_.

“Nice to meet you, Kara.”

“Pleasure to meet you, Mon-El.”

“So… I’m guessing you came here for the stupid Amalgamation Day ball that’s taking place over in there.” She huffed, sounding vexed.

“I did. I don’t really want to be in there though.”

“Yeah. Me neither.” Kara glanced down at her hands. This guy seemed nice. Genuine. Caring. Not just another suitor who was desperate to impress her in order to gain her hand and be bonded with her -more importantly, her social class- forever. Maybe he didn’t even recognise who she was.

A daring thought popped into her head.

Maybe she could escape with him. Not literally, of course. But maybe she could be free. Just for tonight. Just with him. Maybe with him, she didn’t have to be Kara Zor-El, daughter of Alura and Zor-El. Maybe she didn’t have to be someone who was submissive to all those that surrounded her’s orders. Maybe she didn’t have to go back inside that clamorous, sultry ballroom into the obnoxious ball being held that basically removed any remaining freedom she had left.

Maybe she could just be Kara. Maybe she could just be herself. Her real self. A headstrong, assertive woman who could be whoever the hell she wanted to be. Who could do whatever the hell she wanted, when she wanted to.

Because when she looked up into those eyes, those dreamy, steel eyes, she felt something so profound. She could feel her heartrate accelerating at just the mere thought of being her actual self with him. She could be daring with him. And in those twinkling swirls of grey, she saw herself. She saw herself, happy. Actually, genuinely happy. And she wanted to hold onto that forever. Clutch it and never let that feeling go. Never let him go.

“I mean, the music isn’t that good if I’m being honest.” His silvery yet sarcastic voice brought Kara out of her thoughts and into a state of trying to hide her laughter. But then she realised. She didn’t have to hide it anymore. She was just with him. She was just with Mon-El. She didn’t have to care what anyone thought, because they weren’t around to see it. So, she laughed. She giggled. For the first time in a long time, she actually allowed herself to let herself go. To be Kara.

“What?” He started chuckling with her, and before they knew it, the pair were both in fits of laughter. He didn’t necessarily agree with his statement 100 per cent, but he made the assumption that it would cheer Kara up. To his relief, it most certainly did.

“Nothing, nothing.” Kara finally responded, dabbing at her eyes through the mask to clear away her tears. _Huh. Funny._ She was just crying a few minutes ago, but for a completely different reason. And within what felt like seconds, Mon-El had wholly changed that. He raised her spirits faster than anyone Kara knew. Faster than _Alex._ “It’s just that I haven’t laughed like that since… Well, since I was about 10 years old. So, thank you.”

“No, thank you. Because I don’t think I’ve ever laughed. Definitely not like that.” That confession hit Kara right in her heart. He’d never _laughed?_ He’d never experienced the bearable pain you get in your stomach when you laugh _so hard?_

“I’m sorry.” She whispered softly. The ebullient mood shifted to a sympathetic, melancholy one.

“No, please. Don’t be. It’s probably because my friend Winn isn’t as funny as he believes.” He laughed hollowly. Before Kara’s mind could even register what was happening, Kara’s hand had already jumped forward and was placed gently over Mon-El’s, her thumb stroking it repeatedly. He looked up and gave her a grateful smile, but she could see his appreciation truly in his eyes.

“Do you want to go for a walk?” She proposed on an impulse. She didn’t know about him, but walking was always something that she enjoyed, no matter how down she was feeling. And walking through Krypton’s gardens, well, nothing could compare.

The sun was setting, and Kara knew the perfect place to watch it. “I know my way around here quite well and I’m assuming you don’t?” Mon-El shook his head in response. “Let’s go then!” She jumped up off the bench enthusiastically, took his hand in hers and lead him down the hedged path.

Ok, so maybe going on a walk was an excuse to get to know Mon-El. And spend more time with him. But she couldn’t help it. Not when he made her feel so much more like herself.

“So, Mon-El, tell me something about you that no one knows.” Kara questioned as the two of them paced down the path.

“Okay. I have a sixth toe.” He responded nonchalantly.

“Are you serious?!” Kara gasped. She was flabbergasted.

“No! Of course not.” He chuckled, the mirth evident in his voice. Kara began to giggle with him and she loved it. His laughter was contagious. Anytime she heard even the smallest chuckle from him, she felt the urge to do it too.

“So?”

“So… what?”

“Tell me something! Don’t tell me you’re a closed book.” She nudged his shoulder with hers.

“Well, I suppose I’m a partially open book.” It seemed impossible to get an answer from this mysterious man she was walking with. _Why won’t he stop dodging the question?_ Perhaps he was shy. She didn’t blame him. She was this strange girl he’d only just met who wouldn’t stop pestering him.

“Okay, at least tell me where you’re from.” Kara thought that’d be a perfect conversation starter.

“Uh…” Mon-El was hesitant to tell her about his Daxamite heritage, and quite rightly so. There was a universally-wide strong hatred for Daxam and its inhabitants. If he told her he was from there, she’d most likely run as far from him as possible. He was standing on the soil of their foes. He could tell a small lie, right? It’s not like Kara would ever find out. Just for once, he’d liked to be judged as himself. Not from his title as Prince of Daxam. Not because he was a Daxamite. He’d liked to be judged as a person, because that’s who he was. He was a real person who deserved judgement on his actions, not because of rumours or whispers.

“I’m from a planet that’s far away from here.” Lie. “That’s why I came on a ship.” Also a lie. “But I hate it there.” Less of a lie.

“Oh?” Kara silently revelled in the fact that she had managed to elicit such valuable information from someone who was basically a stranger.

“Yeah... I hate it there. I hate the way that everyone is just so pessimistic. I hate that they can’t interact with someone without making opprobrious comments immediately after. And I hate that it’s nothing like this planet. There’s absolutely no garden. No greenery. No plants and flowers and orchards. It’s all just sand and soil.” Mon-El instantly stopped himself from continuing to talk in fear of giving away too much. What if she guessed where he was from? That was already too much information, wasn’t it?

“I’m sorry.” Kara apologised for the third time since their meeting.

“Please, Kara. You don’t need to apologise.” He replied without making eye contact before stopping, turning to Kara and taking her hands in his. “You don’t need to apologise for anything.” The prominence of those words was clear to Kara and she gave him a wide smile in return as they continued to walk.

 

While Kara and Mon-El had been walking, they both learnt so much about the other, yet both were hesitant to give away who they really were. Kara explained how she was from a nearby planet and had a Kryptonian cousin -which, to be fair, wasn’t a lie. She told him that he was the reason she knew her way around Krypton so well. She too decided to keep her real identity a secret. Kara was anxious that he would try and win her hand, yet he didn’t seem to recognise that she was Kara Zor-El, much to her relief.

They told each other of all their dreams -their real dreams- that were secrets from everyone, including their closest friends/ hand maids. Kara explained her dream of becoming a scientist, just like her father. And Mon-El revealed his of becoming an artist. Both found comfort within the other. They found the ability to open up easily and confide everything they ever thought in each other. They had finally found a person who they knew could understand them.

 

Kara approached one of the old ruins of Krypton that she’d escape to often in the evening to watch the rose sunset. It was faded and derelict yet still stunning as the chiselled marble reflected the soft rays beautifully, casting a hazy, coral glow across the monument.

Kara attempted to climb the ruin and having done it multiple times before, she was pretty confident. However, she clumsily forgot that she was wearing killer heels, so when she placed her foot on a small alcove, the minute base of the heel slipped, causing her to fall cloddishly to the ground.

Lucky for her, she wasn’t alone and had Mon-El, who anticipated her fall and quickly lunged forward to help Kara to steady herself, with his arms under hers. He pulled her up gently and set her on her feet, turning her around to face him. Her hair was slightly less exemplary, the golden strands tossed across her face. She gave him a levity smile, her adrenaline rush still providing her with a reckless attitude.

“Kara. Your dress.” Mon-El uttered in consolation. Her magnificent gown was now slightly torn with a ragged edge and a damp, mocha coloured hem, alerting Kara that she had evidently fallen in mud. Oh, how her mother was going to _kill_ her.

But before Kara could even start to care, she looked up at Mon-El, still in the warmth of his arms. Glancing at him, noticing everything about him, recognising how he made her feel, the situation of her dress no longer mattered. It didn’t bother her.

Because she was just Kara. And she was with Mon-El. She didn’t have to care.

“Whoops.” She chuckled cheerfully, steadying her giddy self by gripping Mon-El’s forearms. Mon-El started to laugh too, his forehead crinkling as his eyebrows furrowed together in jolliness. Her laughter was contagious too.

Once their laughter had died down, Kara started to climb the ruin once again.

“Wait!” Mon-El stopped her before she could put her heel in the first hole. “You might want to take those off first.” He advised, pointing towards her deadly high heels.

“Good idea.” She beamed and took the aching shoes off, letting out a relaxed sigh after being freed from those tiny, tight shoes of hell. She never understood why she had to wear them if her tremendously large gown covered her feet anyway. Placing her foot in the first alcove was effortless now that she was barefoot, thanks to Mon-El’s guidance.

Once she reached the top, she pushed herself up onto the flat ledge at the top and spun around to face the sun that was straight in front of her. She looked down and saw Mon-El still on the ground, waiting for her.

“Well, are you coming?” She shouted down to him, though he wasn’t too far away.

“Yeah. I’m coming. I just wanted to see how you’d do it first.” He replied unconvincingly. She couldn’t blame him if he was slightly apprehensive about the whole thing. Maybe he was afraid of heights? Probably something she should’ve asked him before climbing all the way up there. But hey, at least she was learning things about him.

Truth be told, Mon-El was rather dubious about the whole thing. Kara was seemingly lucky to have such lenient parents, but his… Oh, his parents were sadistic. They would go ballistic if they saw his suit sharing a similar fate to Kara’s gown. And when he said his parents, he really meant his mother.

She was the worst. A brutal, cold-blooded, bestial queen who wasn’t afraid of laying her cruel hands upon her son.

Then again, why should he care? He didn’t know any real thing about Kara’s parents. For all he knew, they could be just as fiendish as his own. They may end up hurting Kara too. And yet, she didn’t seem to mind. She was reckless with him. And if she had that attitude, well, he could very well share the same one.

Mon-El zealously attempted to climb up, desperate to prove to himself -and possibly, Kara- that he couldn’t care less, but she stopped him too.

“Hang on. Take those off.” She extended her finger towards his feet. “It’s way easier sans shoes, as you’d expect.” She smiled, and he gave her a charming one in return as he kicked off his shoes impetuously. He grabbed onto the cavities in the wall, making sure his footing was stable as he propelled himself up quickly. Before Kara knew it, he was sat right there next to her, both of their legs dangling over the precipitous drop. They weren’t scared. They had each other.

“Wow.” Mon-El exhaled, looking out towards the fuscia sky. The descending ruby ball of fire shone through the thin strips of cotton clouds left in the sky, turning them into a bright, red-apple hue. The pair observed as everything across the land turned from shades of red, to tangerine, to magenta and ending on a luminescent honey tinge. The sun slowly sank until only the top sliver was visible behind the rolling hills.

Kara turned to look at Mon-El, studying the microscopic features on the lower half of his face. His face was aglow with the last dandelion-coloured rays just grazing his face. His lips bared the resemblance of a smile, and Kara could feel her own one playing on her lips.

Mon-El felt Kara’s gaze on him, so he turned to face her, seeing her blushing at the warm touch of the remaining sun. In her eyes, he saw an impish glint, but a tiny glimpse of tenderness and generosity. And she saw the grin of a child, but the eyes of a fully-fledged, affable man.

“Thank you.” He whispered.

“What for?” Her shimmering eyes led him further into hypnosis and he couldn’t escape. Nor did he want to.

“For bringing me here. I’ve never seen the sun set like this. Back on… my planet, there’s no place to watch it. It’s all covered by the skyscrapers we’ve had built. Sometimes, I’ll be able to crawl out of my bedroom window with Winn to watch it somewhere, but I’ve never seen it in this way. So, thank you.”

“Well, thank you for accompanying me.” Kara responded as she sighed in content. Mon-El’s hand naturally stretched out and he placed his palm flat on the marble just behind Kara’s back. It felt like second nature to Kara when she edged closer to his body and placed her head gently on the edge of his shoulder. She could feel every breath he took, every move that was made. His intoxicating, musky scent only pulled Kara closer into him. As the sun set and took all its heat with it, Kara barely noticed it. She already had the warmth that was radiating off Mon-El. She was anchored to his side. She had the cosiness and security of his arms.  

In that moment, everything was fine. Everything was going to be okay. She wasn’t going to have her entire life passed to an unknown man. She wasn’t going to be someone else’s wife. She wasn’t going to lose any of the remaining liberty she had left.

She was with Mon-El. And nothing else mattered.

 

As the crimson sky waved goodbye and twilight stole all the fiery colours, Mon-El and Kara climbed back down to the ground, their bare feet quickly dirtying with the mud and sand that surrounded the dilapidated buildings. Mon-El helped Kara down, even though she was adamant she didn’t need it. That was, until she nearly came tumbling down -again- into Mon-El. Though he was more prepared for it this time. The pair searched for their shoes despite the fact that they didn’t really want to wear them anymore to find them tossed to the side in a bush. The feel of the tusks of grass seeping through their toes wasn’t one they wanted to prevent.

 

After who knew how long of walking shoeless, Kara stopped and settled in a vast, circular patch of grass. It was soft. So soft. It grew in beautiful jade tussocks and all Mon-El wanted to do was lie in it all day. As if she read his mind, Kara plopped on the ground, her desecrated ballgown creating a large poof of material around her. She threw her heels to the side sloppily, not caring where they went because as far as she was concerned, she’d never need them again. As Kara lay down, she patted the spot next to her, prompting Mon-El to follow suit and put his head on the grass, feeling it resembled the same comfort a mattress would bring. When he gazed directly up, he saw the gorgeous night sky. It was stupendous. Awe-inspiring. Everything he thought he’d never see from Daxam. The inky canopy was dotted with sporadic freckles that twinkled brighter than anything he’d ever seen. It was an infinite abyss and Mon-El was completely lost in it. And he never wanted to be found.

“Dazzling, isn’t it?” Kara’s soft voice came out as barely a whisper, yet Mon-El was so close to her, he could only just pick it up. “The Kryptonian sky is the best one. Not that I’m biased or anything.”

“No, no. Of course not.” Mon-El chuckled as he gazed upwards.

“I wish it could always be like this.”

“Unfortunately, there is the concept of day as well as night.”

“Not like that, silly!” She jokingly retaliated, shoving his shoulder with her palm gently. “I mean, this feeling.” She responded with a heavy sigh. The mood had suddenly changed within mere seconds. The laughter and the giddiness. Gone. Replaced with a deep sombre mood.

She wasn’t happy. Mon-El could recognise that sigh because it was the kind he did daily. But how could she not be happy? This place was practically paradise, and from what he heard, she came to this planet very often to stay with her cousin. It was essentially her second home and was as close to heaven as Mon-El could get in his lifetime. And yet… she didn’t enjoy it here? Or wherever she was?

“What feeling?” He whispered tentatively. He wanted to say she didn’t have to answer, but before he could continue, she replied.

“Liberty. Independence. The feeling of doing whatever I want, when I want, without having to ask anyone if I can do it. Without having to _care_ if anyone sees and what they think. I can’t feel like that at home. I can’t feel-“

“Free.” Mon-El finished her sentence, knowing exactly how she felt. Kara’s head instantly whipped to look at him, but he didn’t do the same. Not just yet. “I… Where I come from, my background, my place, it’s not easy. People expect it to be, but it’s not. And having my parents as your mother and father makes it a thousand times worse. Every step and breath is watched and reported straight back to them. I can’t move. I can’t go anywhere without them knowing my exact plans. I can’t even be here, with you, yet I can’t go. I can’t go back inside there. I can’t face the million questions they’ll have for me. I can’t. But I must, because that’s what I’ve been told, right?” He sighed and closed his eyes.

He didn’t want this to end. He didn’t want to face his reality. He didn’t want to leave Kara. He didn’t want to leave the girl who made him believe everything would be alright. The girl who managed to get so much out of him within hours when he was naturally reserved. The girl with wide eyes who he knew would always listen to him. Would always listen to his problems. She would always be there for him. And he would do the same for her.

Kara turned her head back up to the sparkling void above her. “Do you ever feel like running away?” Her words were heavy, yet she felt unworried saying them to him because she knew how he’d answer. She knew he felt what she felt.

“Yes. All the time.” He breathed. “I feel like dropping all responsibilities behind me and just leaving. Somewhere else. _Anywhere_ else. We’ve been brought up and told that we _must_ do things, but why? Why do we have to do these things? Why can’t we just forget them?” Kara didn’t miss the way Mon-El had started using ‘we’ rather than ‘I’. She liked it. She felt as though she were a part of something. A part of someone.

A part of him.

“And yet we’ve never vocalised these protests because of the high expectations everyone has for us. It’s stupid.”

“Ridiculous.”

“Absolutely bonkers.” The pair sighed in sync and found themselves in a situation they never thought they’d be in.

“When you found me earlier, when I was crying…” Kara started. Should she be doing this? Should she really be telling him all this? “It was because I finally realised the reality of the situation I’m in. I have no control. My parents dictate everything for me. I don’t get to decide what I eat, what I wear, where I go. I don’t get to be _me._ ” She tilted her head to face him, and he did the same. Before she found herself lost in two flint-coloured orbs, she spoke up. “But, Mon-El, I can truly say now that these past few hours have been the best of my entire life. You brought out the other side of me. The side I thought I buried long, long ago. You had the ability to extract the Kara that I thought was long gone. And I cannot find the words to thank you for giving me an unforgettable night of just being me. Of just being unapologetically Kara.” Mon-El flashed an understanding smile because he knew that. He recognised that. Something in her hushed voice just reminded Mon-El of… well, himself.

And one look into his eyes told Kara that she wasn’t alone in these feelings.

“Thank you, Kara. For making me feel more like Mon-El. For throwing titles out of the window and letting me just be me, even if it was for one night.” He answered with a smile, one that ignited a torrid flame in her chest. Her first reaction- her paranoia, more like- was that she was getting some serious heartburn like she’d never experienced before. She rocketed up off the grass, hoping her straight posture would help the pain in her heart. But when Mon-El shot up too, looking at her with a genuine, concerned glance, she realised what it was.

She realised what a complete and utter idiot she was for falling in love with a stranger.

But he wasn’t a stranger to her anymore. He was her friend at the very least. Her friend who gave her limitless opportunities.

One of which was giving her the chance to be truly impulsive.

“Are you alright, Kara?” He questioned, the perturbation evident over his face. _It was just going to be a short kiss, right? No big deal. It was just her first kiss, that’s all._

“Yeah.” She placed her hand on his shoulder. “In fact, I’ve never been better.” Kara didn’t even hesitate to grip onto his shoulder and pull him towards her before finally pressing her lips to his in a searing kiss. And to her relief, he kissed back. He kissed back with those soft, warm lips of his, and a caring hand enmeshed in the ends of her locks. But before she could pull away, an intense but invisible force overcame them, an urge to push for _more_.

Neither of them could let go of the other. Neither of them wanted to. Their lips were fused together as Kara’s hand went to tangle in Mon-El’s messy strands while his arms encircled her waist.

It was soft, yet fervent, with lips moving in perfect sync. As if it was something they’d been waiting for their whole life. As if Kara was a drop of rain in a drought. And Mon-El was a breath of fresh air. It was a kiss like they’d never felt before.

All Kara could feel were Mon-El’s tender lips on hers and his doting hands on her waist.

He felt her fingers gently tugging on his hair, nails slightly scratching the sides of his face.

For that moment, everything was perfect. She was just a girl, kissing a boy for the first time. She didn’t have to wed anyone. She didn’t have to have her parents’ decisions dominate her own.

When they finally parted for air breathlessly, Kara felt her skin buzzing with delight and Mon-El felt his heart thumping hard in his chest. Their eyes met for the first time after eyelids fluttered open, and Kara could see pure joy dancing in his silver voids. Her hand slid down to rest on his cheek as his lingered on her hip. He leaned into her soothing touch and she smiled, despite her attempts not to by biting her lip.

“That… is a great way to thank me.” He jested quickly, bringing a mischievous grin to his face. His pupils were now so dilated, they matched the colour of the sky up above them.

“Oh, shut up.” She rolled her eyes and sighed incredulously. How she was falling for this almost stranger, she didn’t even know.

But she was falling alright.

And she was falling hard.

 

 

Kara loved this. This feeling. Like a massive weight was lifted off her shoulders. With Mon-El, she was carefree. She didn’t feel self-conscious. She didn’t have to act graciously. She could let go and be free. She was no longer the caged bird, for Mon-El had the ability to open the cage with every captivating word he said. Everything seemed so easy with him. Everything he said made her want to open up to him more. There was just something about him that made her feel like she could tell him anything. Everything. And talk to him for hours on end, knowing he’d be more than happy to listen to her limitless chit chat.

She could _trust_ him. That trust came so easily to her. And she knew what she felt wasn’t just one sided. She liked him, and her intense affection filled her entire body, every cell of her being, and it irradiated her whole face.

As she sat with him on that patch of grass in his arms, talking with, (and more frequently than not, kissing) him about anything she thought, she found a soothing comfort. She’d always longed for some congenial company, and here he was, better than she could’ve imagined.

For Mon-El, being collapsed over the green fur of Krypton with Kara tightly in his hold, he found a similar, yet so much more palpable feeling of _home_. He found home. He found a place he could stay on, with a person he could stay with. He wasn’t going to return to Daxam for as long as he could. And screw anyone who tried to tell him different. Screw anyone who thought they had more authority than him in his own life.

Kara was on the verge of deciding whether to take him elsewhere when a sudden, ear-splitting whistle screeched at them from the ballroom. The couple straightened up, their overly suspicious instincts causing them to assume they were under attack, even though Krypton had one of the best security defences in the whole galaxy. They were then met with a burst of colour exploding in the sky and they loosened their shoulders in relief. The chartreuse fire illuminated their faces, leaving them glowing with the same hue.

“Fireworks? What for?” Mon-El questioned with a chuckle, though he wasn’t met with an answer. More of a gasp of realization.

“The fireworks!” Kara exclaimed, her memory as to why they were there becoming less foggy now. “Mon-El, we have to get back! Now!” She ushered him as she rose to her feet urgently. _How had time flown by that quickly? There was no way they were out there together for 6 hours!_

The fireworks were the closing event of the night, to really end the ball with a bang. That meant that Alura and Zor-El would be choosing Kara’s mate any second now, presuming she’d been on the dance floor, ‘mingling’ the entire night. They were completely and utterly oblivious to the fact that she’d been outside for the entirety of the event with a mystery stranger.

Mon-El stood up and Kara seized his hand, running towards the building like there was no tomorrow.

“Kara, wait! What’s happening?” He asked, a look of bewilderment written on his face.

“I’m sorry, Mon-El, but we have to get back! The night’s almost over!” She responded, her voice shaky from running, still barefoot.

_The night was almost over?_ Mon-El thought. _Oh no._ He’d been putting this off since the moment he left his mother’s side. He’d been avoiding endless, incensed questions that he’d been expecting from her. _‘Where were you? How dare you leave! You have brought ignominy upon me.’_ He felt uneasy just thinking about it.

But the worst part of peering up to see those fireworks, by far, was that he’d used up all his time with Kara. He’d probably never see her again. He’d never see the girl who he was so enraptured by. And never seeing her meant never being his true self again. He’d have to give up the fantasy that he’d be able to stay here.

Stay with her for as long as he could.

He wasn’t ready to give her up.

 

Once they approached the building and made their way in through the back entrance in order to avoid the interrogative guards, Kara paused. They were just short of the single door that would open into the jamboree inside.

Oh, how she was dreading going back in there. Going back inside meant becoming engaged. Going back inside meant being under someone else’s control again. Going back inside meant losing Mon-El.

And she _really_ didn’t want to lose him.

“I had a really, _really_ incredible night with you.” She spoke, the heartache evident in her voice. She wasn’t lying. The night with Mon-El was inconceivable. “And I really hope this isn’t the last time I see you.” She breathed, meaning every word. She couldn’t bear the thought of this being the last time she was able to let go. The last time of being her liberated self. The last time of being with Mon-El, the only person who made her truly feel like Kara.

“Thank you.” Mon-El took her hands in his and squeezed them lightly, letting her know that he well and truly meant it. “Thank you for giving me this one night of… of madness.” He chuckled, and she giggled too, raising their spirits ephemerally. The smiles that were spread across their face faded away, taking their true, rebellious personalities with them.

Before any more desolate words could be uttered, Kara reached forward, cupped Mon-El face and gave him just one last kiss. It was short and sweet, but it said all the words that needed to be said. All the words that they didn’t have the heart to speak. All the goodbyes they need to say.

Kara reluctantly pulled away, taking one final moment to look at him. To memorize all the details on his face. The tiny dimples on his cheeks, the slightly flushed glow emitting from him. They never did take off their masks, though Kara liked that. It added an element of anonymity and proved they weren’t just interested in looks. She never felt the urge to ask him to remove his own, nor did she feel the urge to take hers off. She’d fallen in love with his personality.

And now she was never going to see him again.

Before she could even register doing anything else, she swung open the door, not even taking a second look back. She wouldn’t be able to handle being met with a heartbroken face.

 

“Kara! There you are! Your mother and I have been looking for you all over! You weren’t on the dance floor and you weren’t within the building. You had us worried sick!” A concerned Zor-El was the first to greet Kara again as he gently guided her back to where her mother was waiting.

“Kara! Thank the Gods.” Alura sighed and hugged her child protectively. When she pulled back, a jocular smile was spread across her face.

“What? What happened?” Kara feared she already knew the answer to that question.

“We found you a suitor.” No words could explain the agony and woe Kara felt upon hearing that sentence. Her and her mother’s reactions were polar opposites. Alura was beaming, as if she’d just won the lottery. Yet Kara’s heart sat in pure misery.

That was it. It was decided and final. She’d lost all hope of having her choice of who she spent her life with. She couldn’t decide for herself anymore.

She couldn’t choose Mon-El.

 

“Speaking of suitors, remember we told you about your past arranged marriage?”

“You mean the marriage to the Prince of Daxam?” Kara replied to her father, the revulsion clear in her voice.

“Yes. As it appears, the Daxamite royals have made a gracious attendance to your Amalgamation Day ball, and your mother and I believed it would be a good time to officially meet the prince.” _No. No, no, no._ The prince was here? The prince was at her event? He was here? A wonderful night ruined by not one, but two pieces of bad news.

“Him and his parents are just here.” Alura said, walking Kara over to a group of three people. Sensing their arrival, the trio turned around and Kara was blasted with an awfully familiar black and royal blue suit with a sickeningly familiar freckled-faced, brunette-haired boy.

 

No.

 

“Kara, this is your formerly betrothed. Prince Mon-El of Daxam.”

 

This can’t be real.

 

“And Mon-El, this is your almost wife, Kara Zor-El of the high society of Krypton.”


	4. The Impossible Smile

Betrayed. Livid. Overwhelmed.

Those were just some of the infinite emotions Kara was feeling within that moment.

The bombshell of Mon-El’s true identity had been revealed.

“Did… Did you just say he’s the Prince of Daxam?” It was a struggle, for sure, to even form words in her brain, let alone voice them.

“Yes.” Alura responded, her stiffness never changing.

“And she’s Krypton’s high society daughter?” Mon-El was in a parallel set of emotions to Kara. She was a _Kryptonian? She… lied to him?_ Well, to be fair, he hadn’t exactly done any different.

“Don’t you listen to me, boy?” A very subtle flinch from Mon-El was caught by Kara. “I said she’s a _Kryptonian._ ” Alura resisted the powerful urge to give a furious scowl towards Rhea.

Kara was still reeling in the fact that the person whose company she’d been in since the start of the night was not at all who she thought he was. The person who cheered her up just when she needed it. The person she kissed. She _kissed_ a Daxamite. A Daxamite! And a lying one at that.

It all made sense now. She was just another girl for him to bed. Another quest to conquer. A new woman, a new delusion. And she nearly let him. She held just as much blame as he did.

“Excuse me.” She kept her gaze on the floor. If she so much even gave him a glance, she knew she would turn. She would fall into the trap he had set up for her. So, she ran, picking up her gown, turning on her heel and dashing out of the ballroom.

“Kara!” It was reflex for Mon-El to call out after her. He didn’t care that she was from Krypton. He didn’t care in the slightest. He had finally, _finally,_ found a strong, special connection to someone in the space of one magical night.

And he wasn’t going to let that go.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Rhea hissed at him, just as he was about to go sprinting, catching his arm with an iron grip.

“I’m going to find her.” He ripped his arm out of her hands and ran in the same direction as Kara before Rhea could even utter a word.

Kara couldn’t hear anything but the sound of her high heels clicking on the marbled floor a thousand times a second as she ran as fast as she could. True, heels were hard to run in, but the second she stopped to take them off, a certain Daxamite would catch up with her. A certain Daxamite that she couldn’t talk to for a long time. She kept running, all the way out to the royal gardens until she was sure she’d lost him. Her heart felt like it had been wrenched out. God, how could he just lie to her like that? How dare he pretend he was a good person? How could he fake his identity for an entire evening? Feed her lies for her entire evening?

But… hadn’t she done exactly the same thing?

Had she not avoided telling him she was Kryptonian? Had she not evaded the topic of the High Society’s daughter? A piece of her identity was concealed that night, not dissimilar to what Mon-El had done. He and Kara were alike in that sense.

Just two good people, ashamed of who they were. And where they came from.

“Kara! Kara, please wait!” He was nearly out of breath, chasing after a girl so captivating that his feet went as fast as his heart told them to. They might’ve been numb by this point, but if he stopped for so much as a second, she’d slip out of his fingers for who knows how long. He couldn’t let that happen.

Kara’s first reaction was to run. Keep running as far away from the Daxamite as she possibly could.

And then she recalled the person she’d encountered just a mere few hours ago.

The Mon-El she’d met was so much more than just a Daxamite. He was so much more than the ignorant prince she’d heard so much about. The Mon-El she met had made her happier in one night than she’d ever felt in her life. He’d made her laugh so hard it hurt. He’d brought an unfamiliar warmth to her heart even in the chill of the night.

Could she really let that all go?

“Kara, I am so, _so_ sorry. I never wanted you to find out this way.” Mon-El attempted to conceal the desperation in his voice, hoping, praying, that she would offer him a second chance. She couldn’t bear to look at him. She couldn’t look into those deep, grey eyes. Or she’d fall straight away.

“When were you going to tell me?” She replied, an unexpected icy tone escaping from her mouth.

“I…” Kara whipped herself around, finally facing the boy from Daxam that stood opposite her.

“Today? Tomorrow? No, wait. I wouldn’t have seen you tomorrow. By the time I woke up, you’d be gone. Just like the typical Daxamite Prince I’d heard of.” The pain she felt came swarming into her mind, taking over her entire self. It was almost uncontrollable. She had to hurt. But she had to stay.

“No, Kara, it’s not-“

“It was going to be a secret for as long as you could keep it, wasn’t it? Don’t play games with me, Daxamite. It was between me and the truth. Have me and conceal your identity or come clean and never see me again. It seems as though the latter is the one that has prevailed.”

“Kara, wait. Please let me explain.” Mon-El could no longer hide it. He may as well have been on his knees, begging her to stay with him, desperation clear as day on his face. He was fighting back his hot tears that were itching to spill over, attempting to conceal the despair in his voice.

“Why should I? You _lied,_ Mon El.” Saying his name now just felt so bittersweet. It was no longer a sweet melody. “You lied to me. Do you realise that I can’t trust a single word that comes out of your mouth? You weren’t who I thought you were.” Her voice cracked ever so subtly as she felt the tears bubbling and the heat rising to her cheeks.

“If you’d just let me explain, you’d see-“

“I don’t want to hear it. I can’t be around you. I can’t-“

“Please!” He shouted, fighting back. Kara was at a loss for words. He just… yelled at her. He really didn’t want to lose her, did he? He wasn’t lying now, was he? Kara raised her eyebrows, prompting Mon-El to get on with it before she left. Before she spun on her heel and disappeared from his life forever. He looked down, cleared his throat and swiped the heel of his hand under his eye before starting.

“All my life, I’ve been labelled as this spoilt prince. And I’ll admit, I was much more fortunate than those around me. But I _never_ shared the same views as my mother. And she detested me for it. I never wanted to rule Daxam the way she does. She’s a despicable human. Everything that happens on Daxam… the drugs, the drinking, the…” He choked up just trying to say the word. “The slavery. If I’m ever going to rule, I’m going to change it entirely. Make it a place that people will appreciate living in without the use of alcohol and drugs. Please, Kara. You have to believe me.” Kara listened intently. This sounded just like the Mon-El she remembered from earlier. The one with high hopes of a bright future. The slightly maverick, rebellious boy that felt like a misfit. The person in front of her wasn’t the Prince of Daxam. He was… Mon-El. He was someone she wanted to know and remain friends with. Maybe he wasn’t all those bad things she’d heard. Maybe those rumours were nothing but rumours. Maybe he was like her. And maybe she could forgive him.

“I… Mon-El… It’s just… it’s too much. I can’t deal with this all right now. I’m sorry.” And with that, she was gone. She had vanished in front of his eyes. The stunning girl with the honey-coloured locks in the shimmering dress was gone. And he didn’t know when he’d see her again. _If_ he’d see her again. He’d given it his all. He put his heart on the line, only for it to be left shattered into a million fragments. She left.

And she wasn’t coming back.

 

 

“So, how was it?” Alex’s voice followed a knock on Kara’s bedroom door. Nothing. “Kara? Are you in there?” She persisted.

“Not now, Alex. Just… not now.” _Jeez…_ Alex thought. _The whole thing had really gone that badly? Her suitor was really that bad?_

To be honest, Kara really wasn’t in the mood. She couldn’t get into it now. Not unless she wanted to go through the ordeal of having a break down right in front of her only friend. Not unless she wanted to relive all those emotions. Pain. Shock. Anger. Heartbreak. Not unless she wanted a steady stream of burning tears staining her rosy cheeks. She didn’t want that.

“Alright. But you are aware that you require my presence. Unless you’d like to attempt taking that flamboyant gown off alone.”

Kara relinquished and realised that Alex was just as stubborn as she was, if not more. In another life, they’d be sisters, because they were just that similar.

Alex pushed the door open slowly to find a forlorn Kara perched on the edge of her king-sized bed with her a torn, muddy mesh of fabric sprawled around her in a poof. She was facing away from her, but Alex could read the room. A few tissues were scattered here and there across the carpet, and Kara really wasn’t that good at hiding her sniffles.

“Oh, Kara.” Alex sunk to her knees and put her right arm around Kara, resting their heads together. “I’m sure he’s not as bad as you think. Who knows? Maybe he’s your soulmate. Or maybe you don’t need a soulmate. Maybe he’ll become your soulmate.”

“It’s not that, Alex. I don’t know who Mother and Father chose.” Kara was choking back tears at just the thought of having to explain what had happened just a few hours ago.

“Oh? So, you just rebelled? That’s my girl. I’m proud of you. Never thought that-“

“No, Alex.” Kara’s tone was so empty that Alex immediately closed her mouth. “I… There’s...” The words wouldn’t form. All the words she wanted to say tripped her up, getting stuck in her throat.

“Go from the top.” Alex prompted, and Kara smiled with gratitude. _She really knew her_.

“It started when Mom showed me the ballroom. Everything looked magical, beautiful and so colourful. But… it looked so staged. Everything looked… fake. It wasn’t mine. It was theirs. It was artificial, like they’d done something for themselves and plastered my name in there somewhere to make it seem like an act of generosity. Of course, I knew that this crappy ball had to happen and it’s not their fault there’s a stupid rule about finding me a suitor. But I couldn’t even choose the colour scheme. I couldn’t choose the centrepieces. I couldn’t have one small choice on the day where I celebrate the end of my freedom.” She cleared her throat, trying not to open yet another can of worms. “Anyway, the whole thing got a bit much after an hour or two, so me being me, I ran out to the garden for a breather. I’d just met someone that my parents thought was a possible suitor.”

“And?”

Kara’s nose wrinkled at the thought of him. “He was horrid, Alex. Absolutely nothing like me. We had nothing in common. No connection, no similarities. It was like talking to a plank of wood. It was like meeting a larger version of Kalax!” She sighed, the weight of her reality sinking on her shoulders. “It just dawned upon me… my parents know nothing about me. They know nothing about what or who I want. And I’m going to end up with a person just like that guy or worse.” Kara could feel the hot tears prickling her eyes, but she couldn’t cry. She couldn’t. She wasn’t even at the worst part.

“I was in the royal gardens, mask off, tears running down my face when a man sat down next to me. Alex, he was a miracle. It was like magic that he appeared. He came right when I needed him to be there. It was crazy.”

“Fate?” Alex smiled teasingly while Kara rolled her eyes.

“God, Alex, Mon-El’s perfect.” Muttering his name again forced Kara’s mouth to twitch up into a smile. Just thinking of him caused her to beam and her heart to flutter. “We had the most perfect evening. It was like a chapter from a fairy tale. I couldn’t believe he was real. He was everything I ever wanted and more. He made me laugh within a split second of appearing next to me. We went to the derelict pillars, watched the sunset and sat under the stars. It was like a fantasy. I can’t think of another way to describe it.” Kara sighed dreamily, as though she were a lovesick teen. “And to top it all off…” Kara took a deep breath, bracing herself for the excitement from her handmaid that would follow. “We kissed.”

“WHAT?”

“Multiple times.” Kara giggled, looking at the floor.

“Oh my Rao! My little Kara had her first kiss?”

“Shhh! I can’t let Mom and Dad hear!”

“This is the best day ever.”

“It was like I was dreaming, and no one could wake me up. Even the way he kissed me was perfect. And though I knew it would never happen, I prayed to Rao that Mom and Dad would choose him as my suitor. Everything was perfect.” _Too perfect._

“Wow. You really like this guy, don’t you?” Kara nodded emphatically. There was no point in denying it. She really liked Mon-El. “So what’s wrong? Sounds to me like you had the time of your life.”

“He’s the Prince of Daxam, Alex.” Kara gave Alex a look, and while she hoped it concealed her crestfallen, desolate emotions, it didn’t. Alex was stunned to silence, for a second, until she morphed back into classic Alex.

“Ok. So?”

“What do you mean?”

“So? What’s the big deal? He’s the prince of a crappy planet. And? What else is there?”

“Alex, don’t you get it? He’s our _enemy_. I was going to be _married_ to him.”

“Two seconds ago, you just admitted you wanted to marry the guy.”

“But that’s different!”

“Different how?” While Alex was calm and comforting, Kara could detect a long lecture was forming in her mind. “The prince and Mon-El are clearly two different people from the outside, yes. But what do you really know about the prince? Everything we’ve heard are just rumours.” Alex was pushing hard to be the voice of reason, but Kara wasn’t having it.

“Is it really a rumour that he lives on a planet of drugging, drinking and slavery? And that he _benefits_ from it?”

“Just because he lives there doesn’t mean he agrees with it, Kara. Where else can he go? You don’t know what it’s like for him there. You have to see things from his side.” It was silent for a good while as Kara sat there in a pensive mood. Had she not just had the best night of her life? With a person she admired so much? A person who _understood._

“I thought I’d found someone, Alex. Someone I had a proper bond with. Someone who was the same as me. Someone who had the same cloistered upbringing as I had. And I finally found him. Finally. But he turned out to be one of the worst people I could possibly imagine.” She chuckled hollowly. “Just my luck.”

“Kara, don’t have such a substantive view of him. So he’s the Prince of Daxam. So what? You met Mon-El. Did he resemble any of the rumours you’ve heard about the Daxamite Prince?” Kara shook her head tentatively. “Exactly.”

“But that’s not what I’m upset about. He lied. He lied to me, Alex. He’s not who I thought he was.”

“Bullshit.” Alex’s misdemeanour was almost as bad as a punch to the face for Kara. Alex had _never_ sworn. At least not in front of her. “You’re still looking at him as if he’s the Prince of Daxam. But maybe he’s just a good guy, who wanted to be judged for who he is, and not causing a prejudiced view like you’re doing right now. You told him that titles didn’t matter, right? Well, look at you now! Come on, Kara, even you aren’t that stupid as to throw away an inconceivable relationship like that.” Much to Kara’s displeasure, Alex was right. She was doing the very thing Mon-El feared. She was ignoring all the good in him and trusting _rumours_ over him? The person who had immediately lifted her mood and made her feel like she was on cloud nine the entire night? “And let’s not forget you did the _exact_ same thing as him. So, lose the double standards and find him. I don’t want you to be like this. I want you to be happy. And he evidently makes you happy. You better keep him in your life for as long as possible because you’d be mad to do otherwise.” She was right. While her approach was… harsh, it was tough love that Kara needed. She needed Alex’s barbarous words to knock some sense into her.

“Kara…” Alex placed her hand over Kara’s, offering support. “Listen to yourself. Listen to the way you described him. You called him perfect. Mon-El lied, yes, but just like you said, he’s no different than you. He’s a guy trying to live his life without being judged by gossip. He sounds like everything you’ve been looking for. And you like him.”

“He’s a _friend._ ” Kara emphasised.

“Oh, okay, sure. He’s a ‘friend’.” She scoffed, using air quotes to show Kara how believable her statement was. “Either way, you can’t let him out of your life. You’ve just described him as the ideal guy. And so help me, if you don’t go back to him, I’ll never talk to you again.”

“You don’t mean that.” Kara laughed, punching Alex’s shoulder.

“Yeah, you’re right.” Alex side-hugged Kara, resting their heads together.

“Like you’d survive without our chats.” Alex was right. Kara had to find him.

And she had to find him fast.

 

 

 

“Well? Did you flirt like I told you to?” Winn stood in the centre of Mon-El’s room, hands on his hips while Mon-El rested his back against the wall, forearms propped on his bent knees.

“No…” Winn had arrived shortly after noticing the royal ship make it’s decent into Daxam. After endless taps on Mon-El’s window, he scurried through into his room to interrupt Mon-El’s sulking.

“No? But you promised! Come on, man. Not cool.” But when Mon-El didn’t quip back with a snarky response, Winn knew something was up. “Mon-El? Is everything alright?” With just those three words, a rush of emotions flew into his heart, and Mon-El couldn’t stop his quivering lip and his glassy eyes. “Oh Rao, Mon-El.” Winn instantly appeared next to his best friend, placing a supportive palm over his shoulder. “Talk to me.” Mon-El looked up and his eyes met Winn’s. Everything came flooding out. He couldn’t stop his mouth from recalling the events of the night. He couldn’t stop his heart from pouring out the emotions he’d been feeling since he stepped foot in his poisoned planet.

“She was the most surreal person I’ve ever met, Winn. Everything about her was… incredible. And I threw it all away.” He buried his face in his palms and choked out a sob. Winn moved his arm and pulled Mon-El into a hug, understanding the pain he felt.

“It’s okay, buddy.” He pulled out of the hug and looked at Mon-El with a fierce look of hope in the glint of his eyes. “It’s okay. Things will be okay. But you have to find Kara.”

“W-what?” Mon-El sniffled and shook his head to check if he’d heard his only friend correctly.

“You’ve found something people only _dream_ of having, Mon-El. Daxam is a place where those dreams die. You’ve found something real, something tangible, and you know she feels it too. You can’t let that go. No way. I won’t let you.” Mon-El listened to him, knowing everything Winn said was right. “You can’t sit here wallowing in your own pity. You made a mistake. You lied. But everyone lies, Mon-El. Kara did it too, so I bet my ass she’s willing to forgive you for it. The only blockade is can you forgive yourself?” Mon-El looked down, searching his empty palms for some kind of answer. He envisaged a future with her. A positive one. One that ended with them living together, untroubled and solitary. They were always laughing, always smiling. A gloomy day was not an occurrence. She was his, and he was hers. Every night was just like their first together. Every evening just as magical. It was everything he’d ever wanted. And he knew she wanted it too.

“I have to go.” He rose from the floor, shaking off his heavy-heartedness and dusting away any stray tears. “I have to get to her.” Nothing could stop him now for she was the only thing racing through his mind.

“Damn right you do.” Winn smirked with a smug expression sprawled over his face.

“If Mother and Father ask where I am, tell them I needed fresh air.” Mon-El slid open the window that his friend usually entered by.

“Pfft, yeah. Like that’s believable.” Winn comically rolled his eyes, crossing his arms.

“Just cover for me.” He gripped onto the tree trunk and started his descent.

“Mon-El?”

“Yeah?”

“Go get her.” And with an assertive shake of his head and a drop to the ground, Mon-El disappeared into the shadow of the night. Nimbly, Mon-El ran around the palace, cautiously checking for guards who would march him back to his room the second they saw him, as well as alerting his parents, earning him an hour-long, monotonous lecture and a heavy berating from his mother. He edged around the back of the building and set off towards Daxam’s transport hub.

 

 

 _This is a mistake_ , Kara thought. _There’s no way that he’s forgiven me for how unreasonable I’ve been. How judgemental I was. There’s no way he’s over the fact that I did the one thing he feared. What the hell am I doing?_ Before her self-doubting thoughts could continue to fester and infect her mind, a loud beep and a hiss of air indicated to her that she had arrived. She smoothed her dress out, which did no good seeing as it was already a disaster and finger-combed her hair as she waited for the door to release.

She was here. And there was only one person she had to find.

 

Stepping off onto the dust that she had landed on, she peered into the planet in front of her. He certainly didn’t lie about its appearance. Skyscrapers that seemed to never end loomed over her head and she nearly lost sight of her feet due to all the sand it was buried under. Seeing this planet made her truly appreciate hers. With a sliver of hope and a head full of determination, she set off. Where to, she had no clue. But she had to find him. She had to find Mon-El.

After walking for what felt like hours on the uninviting planet, she found herself in front of a towering, extravagant building with panels of gold lining the walls and holes in the bricks as windows. Only one window emitted light. _He’s in there._ Kara just knew it. Luckily for her, there was a beautiful winding oak, probably the most amount of greenery she’d seen since being on the planet, that finished just below the window. If she could climb Krypton’s ruins, she could certainly climb a tree. With stable foot placement, she pushed herself up as fast as she could, eager to be reunited with him once more. She lunged for the window and pulled herself inside with a sigh of relief.

“Mon-El, I-“

“Who the hell are you?!” She looked up, only to be greeted with a young man, about the same age as her, quite short, holding a comb towards her as if it were a sword. He certainly was not Mon-El. His face attempted to display courage, but she could see right through his demeanour to see that he was quivering inside.

“Where’s Mon-El?” She stood up and the man dived the comb forward some more.

“A-answer me first! Who are you? I’ll attack if I have to!” It suddenly hit Kara, and she chuckled to herself.

“Winn, right? I’m Kara.”

“Kara? As in _the_ Kara? The one I haven’t stopped hearing about since he got back here?”

“He’s… he’s been talking about me?”

“Well, duh! The dude’s basically in love with you.” _In love?_ Kara shook it off and approached Winn closer.

“So you know who I am.”

“Mmhmmm.” Winn nodded his head vigorously, slightly fearing for his life.

“Good. Now tell me where Mon-El is.”

 

 

“What’s the quickest way I can get to Krypton?” Mon-El asked the worker as calmly as he could, though he knew there was nothing calm about the way he just spoke. He was desperate, to say the least.

“Krypton? My prince, why not use your ship? I can summon it for you.”

“No!” He cleared his throat, shut his eyes and took a deep inhale and exhale. “I mean, I can’t. Mother and Father will know. I need something fast and subtle.”

“The train is still in the works, your majesty. It won’t be ready for a month at least. I’m afraid air travel is your only option.”

“Grife!” He cursed under his breath, his heart dropping to the pit of his stomach. “Thank you for your help.” The worker nodded and Mon-El turned to walk back towards the palace with a heavy heart.

He was walking through the desert part of the planet, hands in his pockets, moping. He would never find her now. If using the ship was the only option, then he’d never see her again. Mother would forbid it, with a scoff and a snarl. He kicked at the hard at the sand, frustrated and defeated. He felt a dash of sand hit his ankles. _Funny_ , he thought. _There’s no wind._ He shrugged it off, until it happened again. And again. And again.

And then he heard an impossible giggle. One he’d grown to know so well earlier in the night.

His head whipped around, and he was, once again, met with comet-like eyes. It was impossible. It couldn’t be. It was a mirage. She spoke, with a perfect smile and the softest voice he'd ever heard. And he responded with a breathless word.

“Hi.”

“Hi.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, hello, hello readers!
> 
> Another chapter from me after something like 5 months? Ha, whoops. I truly have no excuse other than I was amazingly busy and that writer's block freakin' SUCKS.
> 
> I'm still not satisfied with parts of the chapter, I feel like the end is still rushed somehow (even though I've worked on that part non stop since mid-November time). But I felt like it was time to push myself and put it out there because I owed it to the people who read this!
> 
> I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and the next one is already in the works!
> 
> Have a lovely Christmas to those who celebrate it and a Happy New Year to you all!

**Author's Note:**

> Hopefully you enjoyed reading! I'd love it if you could leave a kudos so I know if you're liking it.
> 
> Thanks for reading! :)


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